Florence is one of the most appealing places in the world for its peculiar aspect, a comprehensive open-air Museum. Less known for Festivals, Fairs and innovations, a showcase of modern occasions.

Why write about September in Florence at the end of the month? Because many of the events will be renewed in September 2020 and because, having participated in most of them, I won’t be limited to their calendar, but rather to describe their true nature.

Settembre in piazza della Passera

Opened the 10th of September, lasting 4 days. It is an independent musical event of jazz taking place every year for eighteen years now and not only built with the synergy of the merchants of the Piazza, from an idea by Stefano Di Puccio, owner of the restaurant I 4 Leoni and producer of the Festival. The artistic direction has been entrusted to Alessandro Di Puccio, resulting in a very successful international show of famous musicians and singers, as well as young artists. The artist celebrated this year was the extraordinary Art Blakey, on the centenary of his birth. Before each concert Pierpaolo Florio projected on the facade of the houses hundred photos of Life in Oltrarno, from his book of images of social life, work and night life in that area, still keeping habits of the old times. Because of this event the charming Piazza has been converted from a parking place to a meeting center, every September filled with very good music and an enthusiastic audience.

Fragranze

From Friday 13 to Sunday 15 September, Fragranze, the rendez-vous point for the world’s best artistic perfumery, was at the Stazione Leopolda. Every year Pitti Fragranze calls the top sector names and the most prestigious noses to Florence to discuss the latest trends and the advanced experiences in selective perfumery, as well as the links between fragrances and nowadays lifestyles. The latest ideas in beauty, wellness, wellbeing and the most exclusive skincare lines are presented by 150 of the most qualified maisons and brands. making use of the new talents on the world scene. It’s an answer also to men, more and more demanding creams especially for the care of hands and hair, and scrab for the face, in addition to a personal perfume.

New generation festival Concert series

The first evening of the program was on September 20 at Zeffirelli Foundation with performances of Paganini, Cajkovskij, Brahms by the violinist Giuseppe Gibboni from Naples and the pianist Ludovica de Bernardo from Salerno. New Generation Festival Concert Series is the brainchild of three young English entrepreneurs - Maximilian Fane, Roger Granville and Frankie Parham - co-founders of an organization that offers support to young artists from around the world allowing them to put in show their talent on the stages of events organized during the year. The last concert of the series will be on June 19th 2020 in Giardino Corsini, same location of the annual "mother" stage event, with the Senzaspine Orchestra and Gennaro Cardaropoli, twenty-two years old violinist, winner, among others, of the prestigious Claudio Abbado Prize and of the Solista Prize for the violin competition of the Filarmonica of the Scala di Milano.

Science opens to deaf and blind

Science is more and more using new communication skills, to respond to a growing interest of the public. In particular Museo della Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica has implemented videos explaining its rich collections and attracted visitors with a tongue twister “High Tech vs High Touch”. It has been communicated to the Press the 25th of September that the Museum can now provide new videos in LIS (Italian Language of Signs), so as to admit audio disables to the detailed story telling of the Museum and of its nine sections and an interactive orientation map of the structure and of its services, to be also listened to in case of video disability.

La Biennale dell’Antiquariato

From 21 to 29 September, Florence has welcomed excellence in art and antiques, all gathered at Palazzo Corsini, on the banks of the Arno. “A museum for sale”, according to Fabrizio Moretti, General Secretary of the Biennale Internazionale dell’Antiquariato, at its 3125st edition, 60 years after 1969, when Mario and Giuseppe Bellini devised the project of an Italian antiquarian event, the first Antiques Fair organised in the world. This year 77 international galleries have proposed no less than 4,500 works. As usual, antiques of high quality have been represented, but this year the interest in modern and contemporary art has increased. The works of art shown - paintings, sculptures, furniture, carpets and antique books, all rigorously created by Italian masters or foreign artists who have worked in Italy - have undergone a meticulous analysis by the Vetting Committee, a group of authoritative and respected experts at an international level, to ensure collectors and institutions that they can buy with the greatest possible reassurance. The cultural level of the expositors also allows simple visitors to enjoy by traveling in history by means of the explanation of some of the exposed paintings.

The prize for the most beautiful painting on display has been given to Madonna col Bambino, san Giovannino e santa Barbara, painted around 1548 by Daniele da Volterra, for its innovations in composition and space, inspired by Michelangelo. The painting itself has been acquired by Eike Schmidt, the Director of the Gallerie degli Uffizi, for enriching the Florentine collections with an extraordinary work of art.

European's Researchers Night

September 28 was this year's appointment for the “European's Researchers Night”, the European Commission initiative to promote the dissemination of scientific culture. At the four corners of Piazza Strozzi you could find a young researcher to answer your questions about a scientific subject of your choice. The event was aimed at an audience of all ages and offered the possibility to approach the multi-faceted world of science by meeting vis-a-vis the men and women that work daily in research.

Innovations in art, wellbeing, science and music, then, are waiting for you next September in Florence. Save the date!